Kuala Lumpur – Today, the legal team of Anwar Ibrahim released the Opinion No. 22/2015 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, finding unanimously that Anwar is being held illegally and in violation of international law:

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention renders the following opinion: The deprivation of liberty of Mr. Ibrahim is arbitrary . . . taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the Working Group considers that the adequate remedy would be to release Mr. Ibrahim immediately, and ensure that his political rights that were removed based on his arbitrary detention be reinstated.

"I am deeply grateful that the United Nations has called for Anwar's release," said Nurul Izzah Anwar MP, his daughter. "Its strong stance in solidarity with my father sends a clear and unequivocal message to Prime Minister Najib Razak, and ensures that the sharp decline in human rights under his administration will not go unnoticed," she added.

The Working Group is a five-member independent and impartial body appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, and is currently comprised of experts from Australia, Benin, Mexico, South Korea, and Ukraine. It is mandated to consider and render opinions about alleged cases of arbitrary detention. The Government of Malaysia held a seat on the UN Human Rights Council from 2006-2009, and 2010-2013. It must abide by this opinion and its recommendations.

Anwar, the former opposition leader and a former Deputy Prime Minister, is imprisoned because he presents a democratic threat to Prime Minister Najib Razak and the ruling UMNO party. Anwar led a diverse opposition coalition, cutting across race and religion to win 52 percent of the popular vote amongst Malaysians in the country's most recent elections.

Anwar has been in increasing pain throughout his detention, which began in February 2015, because of a serious muscle tear in his right shoulder capsule and rupture of the shoulder rotator cuff . Despite the urgent need for medical treatment, Datuk Dr. JeyaindranSinnadurai who is his supervising doctor appointed by the Home Ministry, has repeatedly denied Anwar timely access to doctors of his choosing, timely access to necessary medical testing, and most critically, recommended weekly rehabilitation. Intensive physiotherapy was recommended as early as March by the orthopedic doctors which would have helped reduce pain and help maintain mobility and muscle strength but has been and continues to be delayed by Dr Jeyaindran's instructions. As a result, Anwar's shoulder injury and pain levels has been exacerbated for which Dr Jeyaindran has simply prescribed increase in his pain medication instead of ensuring that intensive physiotherapy done properly in hospital conditions is provided to Anwar. Because of the direct political and unprofessional interference by Dr Jeyaindran, Anwar's options for long-term surgical relief are also limited if Dr Jeyaindranis going to dictate pre and post surgical care.

Besides the denial of much needed medical treatement in the form of intensive physiotherapy, Anwar is now also suffering a further restriction. From about two months ago, his access to his lawyers has been restricted to one hour a week despite the fact that he has at least 16 ongoing civil, criminal and syariah court cases which are ongoing. Such a restriction is in clear breach of his fundamental rights under the law and the Federal Constitution.

The Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, International Parliamentary Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and world leaders such as former President B.J. Habibie of Indonesia, former President Abdullah Gül of Turkey, and former Vice President Al Gore of the U.S., among others, have all urged his unconditional release.

We too, urge that Anwar Ibrahim is given the medical care of his choice – away from any political intervention which will hinder post operative care and negatively affect his wellbeing and quality of life. He must be freed immediately, in accordance with the findings of the UNWGAD.

A UN body has determined that former Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been jailed illegally and called for his immediate release, according to a copy of the opinion released Monday by his family.

Anwar, 68, was jailed in February for five years after earlier being convicted for sodomising a former male aide. He denies the charge, calling it a frame-up by Malaysia’s long-ruling government to halt recent opposition political gains.

The opinion by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Anwar’s imprisonment was "arbitrary", that he was denied a fair trial, and was jailed for political reasons.

"The Working Group considers that the adequate remedy would be to release Mr. Ibrahim immediately, and ensure that his political rights that were removed based on his arbitrary detention be reinstated," said the opinion, dated September 15.

It also said Anwar’s treatment in prison violates international prohibitions against "torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."

Anwar’s family has complained that he is being held in a filthy cell with only a thin foam mattress despite chronic back trouble, and has been denied adequate medical care for a host of ailments include erratic blood pressure and a shoulder ailment.

"I am deeply grateful that the United Nations has called for Anwar’s release," said Nurul Izzah Anwar, the former opposition leader’s daughter and a member of parliament.

"Its strong stance in solidarity with my father sends a clear and unequivocal message to Prime Minister Najib Razak, and ensures that the sharp decline in human rights under his administration will not go unnoticed."

No immediate reaction was seen from Najib’s government.

The UN working group is a five-member body currently comprised of experts from Australia, Benin, Mexico, South Korea, and Ukraine.

The case is the second such disputed conviction for Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was ousted from the ruling party in a late 1990s power struggle and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges widely viewed as politically motivated.

After his release in 2004, he helped unite Malaysia’s previously divided opposition into a formidable alliance.

His latest conviction has been criticised by the United States – which said it raised questions over rule of law – as well as other nations and international human rights groups.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which comes under the UN Human Rights Council, has concluded that Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s detention was arbitrary, and that his sodomy charges were political motivated to discredit him.

This comes after the working group considered persuasive evidence which was not contested by the government despite given over two months to do so.

Among the basis of the working group findings, it concluded that Mr Anwar was denied access to a fair trial, and that there was no due process in court – the judge was biased, including chief prosecutor, as well as the haste of the appeal hearing and sentencing.

The working group has requested the Malaysian government to immediately release Mr Anwar and reinstate all his political rights.

Mr Anwar, 68, was found guilty of sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan in early 2015. It is his second conviction since 2000; his first conviction was overturned in 2004 after six years in jail.

Mr Anwar was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment this time, and was subsequently disqualified as a Member of Parliament in March.